For the first time in forever, Jayné Heller's life is making sense. Even if she routinely risks her life to destroy demonic parasites that prey on mortals, she now has friends, colleagues, a trusted lover, and newfound confidence in the mission she inherited from her wealthy, mysterious uncle. Her next job might just rob her of all of them. At Grace Memorial Hospital in Chicago, something is stirring. Patients are going AWOL and research subjects share the same sinister dreams. Half a century ago, something was buried under Grace in a terrible ritual, and it's straining to be free. Jayné is primed to take on whatever's about to be let loose. Yet the greatest danger now may not be the huge, unseen force lurking below, but the evil that has been hiding in plain sight all along—taking her ever closer to losing her body, her mind, and her soul. . .

The rules are the same as usual. You need to send an email at reviews@(no-spam)gryphonwood.net with the header "GRACE." Remember to remove the "no spam" thingy.

Though I've heard a lot of good things about Ted Chiang over the years, I'm ashamed by the fact that this was the first work I've read by the author. Interestingly enough, according to some The Lifecycle of Software Objects could well be Chiang's weakest short fiction work to date. And since I found this novella, Ted Chiang's longest work to date, awesome from start to finish, I reckon I should track down the author's previous short stories.

Here's the blurb:

What’s the best way to create artificial intelligence? In 1950, Alan Turing wrote, “Many people think that a very abstract activity, like the playing of chess, would be best. It can also be maintained that it is best to provide the machine with the best sense organs that money can buy, and then teach it to understand and speak English. This process could follow the normal teaching of a child. Things would be pointed out and named, etc. Again I do not know what the right answer is, but I think both approaches should be tried.”

The first approach has been tried many times in both science fiction and reality. In this new novella, at over 30,000 words, his longest work to date, Ted Chiang offers a detailed imagining of how the second approach might work within the contemporary landscape of startup companies, massively-multiplayer online gaming, and open-source software. It’s a story of two people and the artificial intelligences they helped create, following them for more than a decade as they deal with the upgrades and obsolescence that are inevitable in the world of software. At the same time, it’s an examination of the difference between processing power and intelligence, and of what it means to have a real relationship with an artificial entity.

The novella follows the evolution of artificial intelligences over the course of about a decade. These digital entities known as digients were created to operate within a digital reality world and wear cute anthropomorphic animal bodies. Blue Gamma, the company behind their creation, hopes that avatars possessing genuine intelligence and have the capabilities to develop personalities as they evolve could be marketable.

The story is told through the eyes of two POV characters. Ana Alvarado, a former zookeeper, has been hired to help with the early training of the digients. Derek Brooks is a designer who creates Blue Gamma's avatars. Needless to say, both will get a lot more than they bargained for.

The Lifecycle of Software Objects is essentially a series of vignettes exploring the evolution of the digients and the repercussions of said evolution has on the lives and careers of both Ana and Derek. Every snapshot is an intimate look into the development of the digients, as the avatars grow up, learn a variety of skills as they gradually acquire knowledge and start to understand the world around them.

At some point, both Ana and Derek adopt their digients when Blue Gamma folds, and the story shifts and becomes a parallel to raising children. Psychological and ethical questions arise as both try to teach their digients responsibility. Soon, the possible emancipation of the A. I. becomes a central issue, one that they must tackle carefully.

The Lifecycle of Software Objects is a stimulating and thought-provoking tale of science fiction of the highest quality.

Thanks to the generosity of the nice folks at Daw Books, I have a copy of Patrick Rothfuss' The Wise Man's Fear up for grabs! For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Here's the blurb:

In The Wise Man's Fear, Day Two of The Kingkiller Chronicle, Kvothe searches for answers, attempting to uncover the truth about the mysterious Amyr, the Chandrian, and the death of his parents. Along the way, Kvothe is put on trial by the legendary Adem mercenaries, forced to reclaim the honor of his family, and travels into the Fae realm. There he meets Felurian, the faerie woman no man can resist, and who no man has ever survived...until Kvothe.

In The Wise Man's Fear, Kvothe takes his first steps on the path of the hero and learns how difficult life can be when a man becomes a legend in his own time.

The rules are the same as usual. You need to send an email at reviews@(no-spam)gryphonwood.net with the header "WISE." Remember to remove the "no spam" thingy.

At Suvudu, we’re aware that getting your work into the hands of a professional editor can be a major hurdle in the road to publication. Many New York publishers do not accept submissions except from literary agents. That’s why we’re making available this limited opportunity to put your best manuscript of science fiction, fantasy, horror, or paranormal romance into consideration by the Del Rey/Spectra staff.

Del Rey/Spectra through Suvudu will be accepting submissions from now through March 18, 2011, of previously unpublished manuscripts of no more than 150,000 words. Over the next few months, they will be judged on the basis of originality, creativity, and writing style. The top submission will receive a full edit of the submitted work by Betsy Mitchell, Editor-in-Chief of Del Rey Publishing, and the story will be considered for publication. Three runners-up will receive a set of Del Rey/Spectra titles selected by Suvudu.

The very thought of reaching the end of Steven Erikson's mind-boggling The Malazan Book of the Fallen made me giddy! Vaster in depth, vision, and scope than any other fantasy epic ever written to this day, it was impossible to believe the series was actually ending. Understandably, given the depth of this multilayered saga with its myriad storylines, my biggest fear was that the ending would leave us with so many unanswered questions that it would, no matter how exciting the finale, be somewhat of a disappointment to a certain extent.

This has been my fear since Ian Cameron Esslemont elaborated on one of his future Malazan projects in this interview:

The goal is for that last one to compliment Steve’s tenth. It will mostly be an epilogue. Hopefully, however, we’ll manage it so that there will be opportunity to cast light on some of the theaters of action in the final crux. It would offer a “fuller” understanding of many of the plot lines, etc. Structurally, it might be the most difficult one for me to pull off. I might have to float the possibility of breaking it into two separate projects: one to compliment Steve’s tenth, the second to focus on the epilogue story entirely.

Now, if there is enough material to fill two separate Malazan installments (which are rarely slender volumes, it must be said), I was left wondering just how many plotlines would ultimately be resolved by the end of The Crippled God. I was concerned that we would be witnesses to the mother of all convergences, a mindfuck of an ending, only to be forced to wait to find out what happens when the smoke clears.

And for about the first half of the novel, it felt as though this would be the case. But if there is one thing I should have learned over the years, it's that Steven Erikson has many, many tricks up his sleeve, and he delights in misdirecting his readers and hitting us with the unexpected in the nick of time. Whatever you thought would happen, push that from your mind. Erikson's grand finale will shock and astound you!

Here's the blurb:

Savaged by the K’Chain Nah’Ruk, the Bonehunters march for Kolanse, where waits an unknown fate. Tormented by questions, the army totters on the edge of mutiny, but Adjunct Tavore will not relent. One final act remains, if it is in her power, if she can hold her army together, if the shaky allegiances she has forged can survive all that is to come. A woman with no gifts of magic, deemed plain, unprepossessing, displaying nothing to instill loyalty or confidence, Tavore Paran of House Paran means to challenge the gods – if her own troops don’t kill her first.

Awaiting Tavore and her allies are the Forkrul Assail, the final arbiters of humanity. Drawing upon an alien power terrible in its magnitude, they seek to cleanse the world, to annihilate every human, every civilization, in order to begin anew. They welcome the coming conflagration of slaughter, for it shall be of their own devising, and it pleases them to know that, in the midst of the enemies gathering against them, there shall be betrayal.

In the realm of Kurald Galain, home to the long lost city of Kharkanas, a mass of refugees stand upon the First Shore. Commanded by Yedan Derryg, the Watch, they await the breaching of Lightfall, and the coming of the Tiste Liosan. This is a war they cannot win, and they will die in the name of an empty city and a queen with no subjects.

Elsewhere, the three Elder Gods, Kilmandaros, Errastas and Sechul Lath, work to shatter the chains binding Korabas, the Otataral Dragon, from her eternal prison. Once freed, she will rise as a force of devastation, and against her no mortal can stand. At the Gates of Starvald Demelain, the Azath House sealing the portal is dying. Soon will come the Eleint, and once more, there will be dragons in the world.

Hence, though The Crippled God offers resolution of sorts of several storylines, in true Malazan fashion it leaves many questions unanswered. Moreover, it raises a panoply of new questions as well, making you wonder yet again at the length and breadth of Erikson and Esslemont's epic undertaking. Those who are expecting some sort of Perry Mason scene where Shadowthrone, Cotillion, Anomander Rake, and other Ascendants and Elder Gods will all sit down and debrief the readers regarding what took place in the last ten volumes will be disappointed. It has never been the author's style, so it feels a bit ludicrous to expect Erikson to change that for the final installment. While a good number of plotlines reach their culmination and resolution, quite a few details remain up in the air and leave the readers wondering still long after they have reached the last page. The Malazan Book of the Fallen will continue to trouble your mind for months to come, methinks. And the forthcoming Tiste trilogy will only add to everything that boggles the mind. Personally, I wouldn't have it any other way. . . So push the notion from your brain that once you turn the last page of The Crippled God you'll know the whole truth about and understand the motivations of mysterious protagonists such as Quick Ben, Tavore, Shadowthrone, Cotillion, Anomander Rake, Hood, K'rul, etc.

However, I must warn you that certain storylines are peculiarly left untouched, or are just mentioned briefly. One of the biggest powerplayers of the series -- and one of my favorite characters to boot -- doesn't show up at all, at least not in "real time." Another major character, one we've been expecting to play an important role for a while now, does show up for a few pages and then is gone again. I guess we'll have to wait for Esslemont's epilogue books to find out more about them. . . Given the size and the scope of The Malazan Book of the Fallen, I figure that to do justice to the complicated tapestry of interconnected plotlines he has created over the course of the series, Erikson would have needed something like 2000 pages. And given that the author needed to create and maintain a definite momentum for the readers to feel the full impact of the most important convergence of the saga, Erikson simply couldn't deal with every secondary and extraneous storylines, no matter how much we love or them some of them.

One word of advice: If you do have time to do so, please consider a full reread of the previous nine Malazan installment prior to reading The Crippled God. I wish I'd had the time to do so. Past volumes contain a staggering amount of foreshadowing that we simply didn't get. I'm more than a little awestruck, actually. Like most fans, I've often shaken my head in confusion, perplexed by the fact that Erikson appeared to be focusing on secondary characters and seemingly unimportant storylines. Well, there was a good reason why he did that, and The Crippled God will shine some light on many of the things which at times that left readers lost and confused. The only exception remains his tying up of all the loose ends from Gardens of the Moon in Toll the Hounds. Unless it was to pave the way for Esslemont's Darujhistan novel, Orb, Sceptre, Throne, I still can't puzzle out why Erikson felt the need to do that. . .

The worldbuilding is a world away from even the most amazing epic fantasy series out there. Don't get me wrong. I love George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time, R. Scott Bakker's The Prince of Nothing and The Aspect-Emperor, Robin Hobb's novels, and many more. And yet, the depth and vision of the Malazan universe dwarfs them all in comparison. As the culmination of countless threads, each with its own layers of secrets, The Crippled God will leave you dizzy. Even better, there is a lot of foreshadowing concerning the upcoming The Forge of Darkness and the subsequent volumes in the Kharkanas trilogy, which frankly made me eager to sink my teeth into that new Malazan project!

Some readers opine that Steven Erikson's characterization is often the aspect of his craft that leaves a lot to be desired. That may be in certain cases, though his focusing on myriad plotlines spanning continents and universes prevents Erikson from making readers live vicariously through the eyes of a single or few characters the way authors such as George R. R. Martin, Robin Hobb, or Guy Gavriel Kay can do. Having said that, in The Crippled God Erikson nevertheless managed to write a number of poignant scenes that made my eyes water on more than one occasions. I daresay that even Malazan fans jaded with Erikson's focus on all the various "nameless" soldiers in the last couple of volumes will be moved by the Bonehunters' sacrifice on these foreign shores.

In terms of pace, though The Crippled God is essentially the second part of a single novel that began with Dust of Dreams, it nonetheless follows the blueprint of every other Malazan installment. About half of the novel is devoted to the setup, and the proverbial shit hits the fan in the second half. I'm aware that many fans were expecting this one to be all bang, yet the ending of Dust of Dreams sort of precluded such a thing. And there are so many pieces on the board and marbles into the air, which means that Erikson needs to set everything up for the greatest convergence of them all. Yes, even more impressive than what took place in Dust of Dreams.

I was requested by both Simon Taylor and Steven Erikson to keep this review spoiler-free. And while I never really do spoilers, in past Malazan reviews I did elaborate on the principal story arcs, etc. Which is something I'll refrain from doing in this review, as it does, albeit obliquely, shine some lights on certain events. The cover blurb does give you a good indication as to which main story arcs carry the tale within the pages of The Crippled God.

Be forewarned that very little is as it seems. This isn't a Good vs Evil tale, and as the story progresses it gets more and more difficult to differentiate the good guys from the bad guys. As was the case in Dust of Dreams, certain storylines which at face value appeared to be a bit lame and innocuous pay huge dividends in the end game. The Shake story arc is a good example. I never knew what to make of it when it was first introduced, but it remains one of the highlights of The Crippled God. Others, like Nimander's, though they don't pack as powerful a punch, will reach a resolution that might surprise many readers. Some characters will reward you with unanticipated moving scenes. I can't say I thought much of Gesler and Stormy's new roles in this novel, yet they often threatened to steal the show. Silchas Ruin, Onos Toolan, Draconus, Brys Beddict, Hanavat, and many others will surprise you in myriad ways. So much for Erikson's poor characterization. . .

The heart of the tale belongs to Tavore and the Bonehunters' desperate attempt to cross the impassable Glass Desert. Fear not, for the fate of Tavore's army and her allies is not one of those plot threads which is left unanswered. The mother of all convergence will take place in Kolanse, where the heart of the Crippled God has been chained. Unwitnessed, they will attempt the impossible, with armies, Ascendants, and Gods facing them every step of the way. Oh, and Fiddler is awesome in this one. Not because he kicks ass, though he does, but because he's part of a number of touching moments that really makes you feel for the man.

I can't reveal more without breaking the spoiler-free directive. Do we find out about Karsa's appalling fate? Will Mappo and Icarium be reunited, preventing Icarium's rage from destroying everything? Will the Master of Deck get involved? Will the Eleint manage to break free from the Gates of Starvald Demelain and be free to lay waste to the realms? Will Anomander Rake and Mother Dark play a role in the end game as the Tiste Liosan breach the Lightfall to conquer Kurald Galain? Where is Quick Ben? Will we see Kalam again? Will Taychrenn show up in the nick of time as the culmination of the Emperor and Dancer's plans draws near? What about Kruppe? Iskaral Pust? Whiskeyjack and the Bridgeburners? The Crimson Guard? Laseen? Skinner and the Avowed who betrayed their brethren? Kallor? Traveller? Caladan Brood? The Seguleh? Will K'rul be involved in any shape or form? Will the secret of the Jade Strangers be revealed? Will the three Elder Gods succeed in their attempt to free Korabas, the Otataral Dragon, against which no mortal and most immortals can stand? Can anyone hope to prevail against the Forkrul Assail?

To paraphrase Robert Jordan: Read and find out!

As I said, due to the scope of The Malazan Book of the Fallen, it was impossible for The Crippled God to answer every single questions raised by the saga, nor was it possible to bring every storyline to some sort of resolution. Nevertheless, this final installment will blow your mind on more than one occasion and will satisfy Malazan fanatics everywhere!

Although George R. R. Martin, Robert Jordan/Brandon Sanderson, and other SFF authors will have something to say on the matter before everything is said and done, as things stand Steven Erikson's magnum opus, The Malazan Book of the Fallen, sits in pole position as the very best and most ambitious epic fantasy saga ever written. And believe you me: It won't be easy to dethrone.

To Steven Erikson: Kudos for a terrific job that never ceased to astonish me as I read along. And please keep them coming! With two more Malazan trilogies and a number of novellas in the works, I can barely contain my anticipation!

As Anasûrimbor Kellhus and his Great Ordeal march ever farther into the perilous wastes of the Ancient North, Esmenet finds herself at war with not only the Gods, but her own family as well. Achamian, meanwhile, leads his own ragtag expedition to the legendary ruins of Sauglish, and to a truth he can scarce survive, let alone comprehend. Into this tumult walks the White-Luck Warrior, assassin and messiah both, executing a mission as old as the World’s making …The White-Luck Warrior is a story filled with heart-stopping action, devious treachery, grand passion and meticulous detail. It is both a classic quest tale and a high fantasy war story.

I thought that moving would prevent me from doing so, but I managed to get another leave of absence from work, and though the movey is tight I'm flying to South America on Monday! I'll be spending a month in Uruguay, Argentina, and Chile.

I'll be staying in Montevideo (where I'll be there for the big Carnaval parade!) for a few days before making my way to the beaches of the seaside in Punta del Diablo. I'll then double back and stop in Colonia del Sacramento for two nights. From there, I'll catch the ferry to Buenos Aires, Argentina, where I'll spend five days. After that, I'm off to spend time in and around Rosario, Cordoba, and Mendoza. To cap it all off, I'm crossing the Andes to finish my trip in Santiago, Chile.

Meeting fellow SFF fans abroad has been a lot of fun so far, so drop me a line if you live in some of the cities I'll be visiting and we'll see if we can arrange a meeting.

Our winner will get his hands on a copy of the limited edition of K. J. Parker's Blue and Gold, compliments of the folks at Subterranean Press. For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe, Subterranean Press.

Thanks to the cool folks at Orbit, I have three copies of Joe Abercrombie's The Heroes for you to win! For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

Here's the blurb:

They say Black Dow’s killed more men than winter, and clawed his way to the throne of the North up a hill of skulls. The King of the Union, ever a jealous neighbour, is not about to stand smiling by while he claws his way any higher. The orders have been given and the armies are toiling through the northern mud. Thousands of men are converging on a forgotten ring of stones, on a worthless hill, in an unimportant valley, and they’ve brought a lot of sharpened metal with them.

Bremer dan Gorst, disgraced master swordsman, has sworn to reclaim his stolen honour on the battlefield. Obsessed with redemption and addicted to violence, he’s far past caring how much blood gets spilled in the attempt. Even if it’s his own.

Prince Calder isn’t interested in honour, and still less in getting himself killed. All he wants is power, and he’ll tell any lie, use any trick, and betray any friend to get it. Just as long as he doesn’t have to fight for it himself.

Curnden Craw, the last honest man in the North, has gained nothing from a life of warfare but swollen knees and frayed nerves. He hardly even cares who wins any more, he just wants to do the right thing. But can he even tell what that is with the world burning down around him?

Over three bloody days of battle, the fate of the North will be decided. But with both sides riddled by intrigues, follies, feuds and petty jealousies, it is unlikely to be the noblest hearts, or even the strongest arms that prevail…

Three men. One battle. No Heroes.

The rules are the same as usual. You need to send an email at reviews@(no-spam)gryphonwood.net with the header "HEROES." Remember to remove the "no spam" thingy.

Even while The Blade Itself was at the printer, and while we were shipping the opening salvo in Joe Abercrombie’s epic fantasy series, we’ve been hard at work on its sequel, Before They Are Hanged.

Once again, Alexander Preuss will be supplying a full color cover and a number of interior illustrations, the first of which you can see here. We’ll post examples to the book’s page as they’re available.

Please note: Until 12:00 pm EST on Friday, January 21, 2011, the Signed Limited Edition of Before They Are Hanged is $60, a full $15 off the regular $75 price. Please pay attention to the ordering instructions on the book’s page, as only those who have a copy of The Blade Itself may order a copy of Before They Are Hanged at this time.

Finally, given that The Blade Itself sold out prior to publication, it’s very unlikely we’ll be able to offer copies of Before They Are Hanged to our large online and wholesale accounts.

With The Heroes (Canada, USA, Europe) soon to be released, there is a new Q&A with Joe Abercrombie available on Fantasy Faction. Here's a teaser:

Well, The Heroes is a book about war. More specifically, the great majority of it takes place in one valley, during the course of one three day battle, and follows the misadventures of six variously cowardly, selfish, murderous, ambitious, conniving, treacherous and otherwise largely unheroic characters mixed up in fighting on both sides and at various levels in the chain of command. All epic fantasy tends to be about war to some degree, but the way war is depicted is often somewhat shiny and heroic, with victory a question of clever planning and bravery. From reading a lot of military history I had deduced that war in the real world tends to be a more random, dirty, unpredictable business, with victory just as often the result of strange coincidences, personality clashes, mistakes, and bad luck. I wanted to write a story that tried to bridge the gap between that shiny, heroic, epic fantasy perception of warfare, and perhaps a more realistic, world-weary kind of take. Lord of the Rings meets Generation Kill, perhaps?

Patrick Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind was released with much fanfare in 2007. Indeed, this debut enjoyed both commercial and critical success. The Name of the Wind became the bestselling fantasy debut in hardcover format of all time, beating both Terry Goodkind's Wizard's First Rule and George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones. The novel won the Quill Award and cracked the top 10 of the New York Times Bestsellers list in paperback. All in all, it was everything any author could ever hope for.

Based on the fact that the first draft of the entire trilogy had already been written, readers expected The Wise Man's Fear to be released the following year. Based on Rothfuss' answer in his first interview, his growing legions of fans were persuaded that the entire trilogy would be out by 2009:

Well.... I've already written them. So you won't have to wait forever for them to come out. They'll be released on a regular schedule. One per year.You can also expect the second book to be written with the same degree of care and detail as this first one. You know the sophomore slump? When a writer's second novel is weaker because they're suddenly forced to write under deadline? I don't have to worry about that because my next two novels are already good to go.

Unfortunately, as many authors will tell you, life got in the way, forcing Patrick Rothfuss and his publishers to push back the release date of The Wise Man's Fear time and again. Following several postponements, Daw Books officially announced that the book would be released in early 2011. But as was the case with Martin's A Feast for Crows, the intervening years have raised readers' expectations to an incredibly high level. And the question was: Would The Wise Man's Fear be worth the wait?

So was it, in the end, worth the four years it took to be published? Let me set your mind at ease. For those who enjoyed The Name of the Wind, you can safely go ahead and pre-order The Wise Man's Fear. It's everything its predecessor was, and then some! However, if you weren't thrilled by Rothfuss' debut, then I believe you need not bother with the second volume. Style-wise and plot-wise, regardless of the fact that the storylines are a bit more ambitious, there is likely nothing that can win over readers who were not that impressed with The Name of the Wind. In terms of style and tone, both novels are pretty similar. So I doubt that The Wise Man's Fear can satisfy readers that weren't enchanted by the first one. But for fans of the author, buckle up! It should definitely scratch that itch!

Here's the blurb:

In The Wise Man's Fear, Day Two of The Kingkiller Chronicle, Kvothe searches for answers, attempting to uncover the truth about the mysterious Amyr, the Chandrian, and the death of his parents. Along the way, Kvothe is put on trial by the legendary Adem mercenaries, forced to reclaim the honor of his family, and travels into the Fae realm. There he meets Felurian, the faerie woman no man can resist, and who no man has ever survived...until Kvothe.

In The Wise Man's Fear, Kvothe takes his first steps on the path of the hero and learns how difficult life can be when a man becomes a legend in his own time.

The structure of the book is the same as that of The Name of the Wind. The better part of the novel recounts Kvothe's past and is told in the first person. The interludes, on the other hand, occur in "real time" and employ a third person narrative. I recall finding that specific structure a bit odd in Rothfuss' debut, but it works well in The Wise Man's Fear. It feels as though there are more interludes in this one, but I could be mistaken. While it's evident that many of these interludes will pave the way for the second trilogy to come, at times they felt a bit redundant and unnecessary. Especially since many of them break the momentum of the narrative, just as things are getting really interesting. Like unwanted commercial when you're watching a particularly good movie on TV. . .

Before going further, I also wanted to address something that's been appearing on many message boards on the internet. Patrick Rothfuss has often claimed that The Wise Man's Fear would feature more sex and violence than what his fans have been accustomed to in the past, and many readers have been wondering if they would find that offputting. In retrospect, it all depends on what sort of speculative fiction works you usually enjoy. If, à la Brandon Sanderson, you can't abide swearing and the depiction (in any shape of form) of sexuality, then perhaps you might find certain scenes offputting. There is nothing graphic, degrading, or low-brow about those sequences, mind you. Sex is part of life, and thus it is also part of this tale. Regarding the violence, there's very little of it. Nothing to write home about, to tell the truth. All in all, if you are a fan of authors such as George R. R. Martin, R. Scott Bakker, Joe Abercrombie, and Richard Morgan, what sex and violence you'll find within the pages of this book barely warrant a PG-13 label.

It's also been said that a more sexually active Kvothe was sort of a wish fulfillment thing on Rothfuss' part. It's been compared to that of Guy Gavriel Kay with bearded characters. Keeping that in mind as I read along, I would have to agree on this. For a redhead male, Kvothe sure gets an inordinate amount of action in The Wise Man's Fear. And if you had trouble believing that Archie could have both Betty and Veronica, you may raise an eyebrow on more than one occasion in this second volume. Having said that, it's simply something that will make you smirk from time to time, and it doesn't take anything away from the reading experience.

In terms of worldbuilding, the cover blurb hinted at a lot more in The Wise Man's Fear, so my curiosity was piqued. Rothfuss played his cards rather close to his chest in The Name of the Wind, and I was hoping to learn more about the world and its societies in this one. Sadly, yet again, the author offers us a few glimpses of the depth of his creation, yet he appears to be always holding back. Granted, Rothfuss elaborates on a lot more in this novel, which never fails to get the reader to hope for even more. That's good, no question, but Rothfuss rarely follows through with more revelations. To a certain extent, that was at times a disappointment, especially given the length of this book. I would have thought that the tale would have expanded a lot more in scope and vision, yet always you get the feeling that Patrick Rothfuss is holding himself back.

Oddly enough, what is perhaps the book's most impressive aspect could also be its biggest shortcoming. Rothfuss has an amazing eye for details. His fluid prose and evocative narrative make the story come alive, creating an imagery that never fails to dazzle. And yet, it could be that Rothfuss is too in love with his creation and spends an excessive amount of time describing the minutiae of Kvothe's mundane life instead of focusing on the greater scheme of things. As I mentioned, Rothfuss does it exceedingly well, and it makes the story leap off the page. But overdone, it's simply overkill.

Which then leads to pacing issues, precluding the story from progressing in a meaningful way in several portions of the novel. The Wise Man's Fear starts slow. How slow? Slow enough for Patrick Rothfuss to make Tad Williams look like Mike Tyson. And it's mainly due to the fact that the author spends about 400+ pages re-establishing facts from The Name of the Wind. Yes, Kvothe is poor. Yes, he has to play music to make ends meet. Yes, he has problems paying his tuition fees and must borrow money from dubious sources. Yes, he is a smartass. Yes, the Masters hate him. Yes, he's kind of a dumbass with women, especially Denna. Yes, there is trouble brewing between him and Ambrose. Nothing new under the sun. . . We're talking about a character who will kill a king and experience all sort of wonders. He'll go through harrowing ordeals and become one of the most notorious hero/villain the world has ever seen. So do I want to read another chapter featuring Kvothe crafting more sympathy lamps to help pay for tuition? Simply put: no.

Not that there is no meaningfull or important stuff within those chapters. Far from it. But I feel that a 3-page "What has gone before" section would have allowed Rothfuss to concentrate on those specific plotlines and probably save himself about 300+ pages of things we already knew. In addition, rehashing all that material means that there is very little sense of escalation, very little tension. In a sense, The Wise Man's Fear doesn't truly kick in until we are done with the University part. That's when the story kicks into high gear and where Patrick Rothfuss truly shines. Only then do we really realize that The Name of the Wind was no fluke. At that point, the tale that would make Kvothe the man he'll become begins in earnest.

I will not spoil the tale by unveiling anything that the blurb hasn't already revealed. But I really enjoyed how Kvothe's unending search for the Chandrian will bring him to attempt to uncover the secrets of the mysterious order of the Amyr. The time spent both with the Adem mercenaries and in the faerie world were also quite engrossing, if a bit overdone. Kvothe's time with Felurian is probably the most flagrant example. Yet that's just nitpicking, in the end. The last two thirds of The Wise Man's Fear are extremely good. They give us an idea of the breadth of the author's talent and imagination, hinting at a lot more to come.

My main complaint would have to be that for a work of its size, given its length The Wise Man's Fear doesn't move the story significantly forward the way George R. R. Martin's A Storm of Swords, Steven Erikson's Memories of Ice, and Robert Jordan's The Shadow Rising did with their own series. Could be that volume three will be for all the marbles. We'll have to wait and see. It might be that Rothfuss attention to details and certain would-be extraneous plotlines will pay unanticipated dividends in the final installment of the trilogy. Time will tell. . . But at face value, it looks as though, like its predecessor, The Wise Man's Fear is decidedly overlong.

Once more, this second volume is a character-driven book. As a first person narrative, it can't be anything but that. There is some character growth where Kvothe is concerned, yet less than I expected. Still, I figure that what he goes through in the last portion of the novel will help shape him into the figure he is destined to become. The supporting cast, though bigger than that in The Name of the Wind, is composed of a relatively small number of protagonists. Unfortunately, Denna remains as annoying as ever, and if they keep it up she and Kvothe will soon dethrone Perrin and Faile as the most exasperating couple (or pseudo couple) in fantasy.

In the end, if you liked The Name of the Wind, you will love The Wise Man's Fear. Indeed, although both books suffer from the same shortcomings, Patrick Rothfuss managed to take it up a few notches in this one. Hence, you are less likely to find the pacing issues and my nitpicking offputting in any significant manner. For those who had problems with Rothfuss' debut, however, this one might not be for you.

The Wise Man's Fear is a solid and accessible fantasy work. Whether or not it lives up to the high expectations the many delays engendered remains to be seen. But based on his loyal and enthusiastic fanbase, I'm pretty confident it will! Now let's just hope that it won't take four years for Patrick Rothfuss to complete the final chapter in this quality series.

Tor Books elected to go with Raymond Swanland for this one, which was a very good idea. I love Swanland's work, and I feel he should have been called upon to paint one of those new WoT covers before Towers of Midnight (Canada, USA, Europe).

I like the cover art. Problem is, the man on the cover looks nothing like the true Perrin would look like. This forty-something, battle-hardened veteran soldier with biceps that would put the Incredible Hulk to shame looks nothing like the Perrin depicted by Jordan/Sanderson's narrative.

Thanks to the generosity of the folks at Transworld, I have two copies of Steven Erikson's The Crippled God up for grabs! For more info about this title: Canada, USA, Europe.

I'm 150 pages into the last volume of The Malazan Book of the Fallen, and it's pretty good thus far! ;-)

Here's the blurb:

Savaged by the K’Chain Nah’Ruk, the Bonehunters march for Kolanse, where waits an unknown fate. Tormented by questions, the army totters on the edge of mutiny, but Adjunct Tavore will not relent. One final act remains, if it is in her power, if she can hold her army together, if the shaky allegiances she has forged can survive all that is to come. A woman with no gifts of magic, deemed plain, unprepossessing, displaying nothing to instill loyalty or confidence, Tavore Paran of House Paran means to challenge the gods – if her own troops don’t kill her first.

Awaiting Tavore and her allies are the Forkrul Assail, the final arbiters of humanity. Drawing upon an alien power terrible in its magnitude, they seek to cleanse the world, to annihilate every human, every civilization, in order to begin anew. They welcome the coming conflagration of slaughter, for it shall be of their own devising, and it pleases them to know that, in the midst of the enemies gathering against them, there shall be betrayal.

In the realm of Kurald Galain, home to the long lost city of Kharkanas, a mass of refugees stand upon the First Shore. Commanded by Yedan Derryg, the Watch, they await the breaching of Lightfall, and the coming of the Tiste Liosan. This is a war they cannot win, and they will die in the name of an empty city and a queen with no subjects.

Elsewhere, the three Elder Gods, Kilmandaros, Errastas and Sechul Lath, work to shatter the chains binding Korabas, the Otataral Dragon, from her eternal prison. Once freed, she will rise as a force of devastation, and against her no mortal can stand. At the Gates of Starvald Demelain, the Azath House sealing the portal is dying. Soon will come the Eleint, and once more, there will be dragons in the world.

The rules are the same as usual. You need to send an email at reviews@(no-spam)gryphonwood.net with the header "CRIPPLED." Remember to remove the "no spam" thingy.

A week or so before Christmas, I made the announcement for a giveaway whose prize pack was comprised of 85 books. I was moving into a new apartment and I needed to make room in my collection.

Alas, the new flat isn't as big as my previous loft, so I was forced to add even more SFF titles to the prize pack. I haven't been keeping track, but I figure that the winner will receive between 150 and 200 speculative fiction novels. Not bad, if I may say so myself!

Col Buchanan, author of Farlander (Canada, USA, Europe), wrote an interesting article on escapism for tor.com. As you know, I disagree with M. John Harrison's opinion of this particular facet of any SFF work, so I'm with Buchanan regarding this issue. Here's an extract:

Escapism is bad for you. It’s unhealthy and immature and leads to a lack of bathing.

I’m fairly certain you’ve come across this particular sentiment before, maybe not the bathing part, but the rest of it. Hell, maybe even the bathing part too. People who hold this viewpoint tend to look poorly upon the imagined realms of fantasy and SF—and even more so in regards to their fans. Yes—because we’d rather poke a stick at the human condition from the vantage of Mars or Westeros than from the kitchen sink, because we like to cast our imaginations as far as we can, because we like to go wow along the way, we’re all somehow squandering our precious time on this Earth.

My response to this is usually to acknowledge the most obvious point first—that it’s a lot of fun losing yourself for a while in a fantasy setting. Yet escapism, for me, means a great deal more than this. In truth, we don’t always find ourselves in circumstances of our own making. And trying to escape from bad circumstances, whether inwardly or outwardly, is a perfectly human reaction.

And he concludes with a great quote from J. R. R. Tolkien:

“Fantasy is escapist, and that is its glory. If a soldier is imprisoned by the enemy, don’t we consider it his duty to escape? … If we value the freedom of mind and soul, if we’re partisans of liberty, then it’s our plain duty to escape, and to take as many people with us as we can!”

A nice book trailer for The Lost Gate by Orson Scott Card (Canada, USA, Europe).

Here's the blurb:

Danny North knew from early childhood that his family was different, and that he was different from them. While his cousins were learning how to create the things that commoners called fairies, ghosts, golems, trolls, werewolves, and other such miracles that were the heritage of the North family, Danny worried that he would never show a talent, never form an outself.

He grew up in the rambling old house, filled with dozens of cousins, and aunts and uncles, all ruled by his father. Their home was isolated in the mountains of western Virginia, far from town, far from schools, far from other people.

There are many secrets in the House, and many rules that Danny must follow. There is a secret library with only a few dozen books, and none of them in English — but Danny and his cousins are expected to become fluent in the language of the books. While Danny’s cousins are free to create magic whenever they like, they must never do it where outsiders might see.

Unfortunately, there are some secrets kept from Danny as well. And that will lead to disaster for the North family.

As I mentioned in my review of The Executioness (Canada, USA, Europe, and Subpress), When I heard that Tobias S. Buckell and Paolo Bacigalupi had created a shared world in which both authors would write a novella, I knew I wanted to be in on this. And since Bacigalupi's The Windup Girl (Canada, USA, Europe) was awesome, I couldn't wait to read his novella.

Here's the blurb for the shared world:

Magic has a price. But someone else will pay.

Every time a spell is cast, a bit of bramble sprouts, sending up tangling vines, bloody thorns, and threatening a poisonous sleep. It sprouts in tilled fields and in neighbors’ roof beams, thrusts up from between street cobbles, and bursts forth from sacks of powdered spice. A bit of magic, and bramble follows. A little at first, and then more— until whole cities are dragged down under tangling vines and empires lie dead, ruins choked by bramble forest. Monuments to people who loved magic too much.

In paired novellas, award-winning authors Tobias Buckell and Paolo Bacigalupi explore a shared world where magic is forbidden and its use is rewarded with the axe. A world of glittering memories and a desperate present, where everyone uses a little magic, and someone else always pays the price.

And here's the blurb for the novella:

In the beleaguered city of Khaim, a lone alchemist seeks a solution to a deadly threat. The bramble, a plant that feeds upon magic, now presses upon Khaim, nourished by the furtive spellcasting of its inhabitants and threatening to strangle the city under poisonous vines. Driven by desperation and genius, the alchemist constructs a device that transcends magic, unlocking the mysteries of bramble’s essential nature. But the power of his newly-built balanthast is even greater than he dreamed. Where he sought to save a city and its people, the balanthast has the potential to save the world entire—if it doesn’t destroy him and his family first.

As was the case with Buckell's The Executioness, the worldbuilding in this novella is likely the most interesting facet of the tale. Rich in details, The Alchemist is vaster in scope than most short fiction works of fantasy. Though the characters in Buckell's novella moved around quite a bit, Bacigalupi's story mostly takes place in and around the city of Khaim. And yet, the narrative is filled with things that hint at much more depth than we discern at face value. Once more, this is a tale that may have been better served with a full novel. I for one hope that both Buckell and Bacigalupi will revisit their shared universe and expand on it.

I liked the way Bacigalupi elaborated on the bramble and its mysteries. The conception of the balanthast, a device created to destroy the bramble, was also interesting. The few glimpses of the universe's back story and its power players were a fascinating touch, and I'd love to learn more about the fallen empire of Jhandpara, the Majisters, etc.

The limited format precluded a more thorough fleshing out of the characters, but the author demonstrated a deft humane touch in his depiction of Jeoz the alchemist, his daughter Jiala, and Pila. You could tell from the blurb that the Mayor and Majister Scacz would try to wrest control of the balanthast. Still, I was totally unprepared by their scheme and its repercussions.

Both novellas were quality reads which barely scratch the surface of what this universe has to offer. Here's to hoping that Buckell and Bacigalupi will consider returning to this shared world for more tales in the near future. . .

Kudos once again to J. K. Drummond for the beautiful artwork for the two novellas' covers.

Whoever it is that runs the excellent Winter is Coming was invited to attend a special HBO press event.

HBO had hoped to show the pilot here at the winter TCA press tour, but it isn’t quite ready yet. So they put together 15 minutes of clips from what looks to be the first three episodes. And it is, in a word, amazing.

SFF author Mark Charan Newton recently posted his thoughts regarding the current state of the industry on his website.

Here's an extract:

So anyway: here are some observations on the industry after another year.1. The blogosphere ain’t what it used to be. Blogs have come and gone, and actually a lot have appeared in the last couple of years. The net result, combined with Twitter (which absorbs debate and attention) means that conversation is now phenomenally diluted; niches have sprung up within our genre niche. I’d consider print review venues (other than, say, SFX or the Guardian) to be absolutely ineffective in generating debate or playing much of a role in the genre, but the debate online is increasingly watered-down in terms of impact. It ain’t what it used to be. The older blogs still have the bit audience: Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist, A Dribble of Ink, Wertzone, or the Book Smugglers (these are the first four I typed – there are many more, but newer blogs will struggle to come close to getting their page views).

2. For this reason, I really pity new authors. It’s tough out there – it was a year ago – but now, with so much diluted debate, how the hell can you get yourself noticed? Having publishers tell authors to get out there is even more frustrating because…

3. Publishers dominate once again. Remember that time where people controlled debate according to the mildly anarchistic nature of the internet? Not now. The big publishers have created the mega-sites, and have invited bloggers to write guests posts. It’s miraculous – regular, interesting content, around which they can flog their books (and they’re a business – that’s what we expect). Bloggers mention they write guest posts, and send traffic to the mega-sites. Traffic flows one way. What’s more, the ethics of reviewer/blogger neutrality has been raised in discussion a few times. The saddest thing about all of this is that money (resources to set up these sites) now buys attention once again; for a short while, that wasn’t the case.

I was meaning to respond to Newton's post, but I've been up to my neck in boxes and shit since I moved into a new apartment on Monday.

Yet since many of you are bloggers and/or blog followers, I figured that you might have something to say about his thoughts.

Personally, I don't feel that the publishers' mega-sites are that great. To be honest, I was kind of excited at the beginning, but not rarely ever visit them. They lack the life and personality of blogs run by passionate and dedicated fans of the genre. . .